Brooks



(No Model.)

- E. J. BROOKSV SEAL.

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8L 6 w 3 WW 0. i M w Wu M m w a c m W .0 N F UNITED STATES PATENT, Erica.

EDWARD J. BROOKS, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERsEY, ASSIGNOR TO E. J. BROOKS & COMPANY, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

SEAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 373,008, dated November 8, 1887. Application filed Sept-emher 19,1 887., Serial No. 250,094. No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDW RD J. BRooKs, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of v presses. a

The present improvement is additional to those of my improvements in such seals patented September 1, 1874, United States PatentNo.154,639;February26,1884.,No.294,193,

and June 30, 1885, No. 321,275. Its object is to provide more simply and more efficiently against in any way opening the pressed sealdisk or seal proper, so as to release either end of the shackle, and then restoring the appearance of the seal-disk,and thus to insure more absolutely the detection of violations of such seals or of any tampering therewith.

Compressible seal-disks of cast metal have heretofore been commonly made of lead, apart from the distinct hard-metal locking devices or guards inclosed within my improved seals, hereinbefore referred to, and like inclosed looking or anchoring devices, which add materially to the first'cost of the seals, and only partially prevent opening such seals by lifting and replacing the lead, especially if the seal-disks are not thoroughly solidified in pressing them. This is peculiarly true of recessed seals, such as those set forth in my specifications forming part of United States Patents dated February 14, 1882, No. 253,674;

March 4, 1884, No. 294,576, and August 9, 1887, No. 368,126; and the press -fastened shackle ends of those recessed seals in which one shackle end is cast fast in the seal-disk, are the most liable to be so tampered with, as the solid portion inclosing thetcast-in end resists the solidification of the remainder of the seal-disk to a greater or less extent.-

I have discovered that an alloy of lead and a hard and brittle metal, as antimony, can be formed of whiehseal-disks may be cast which are compressibla so as to be solidified in the seal-presses to the requisite extent to preclude withdrawing the press-fastened end or ends of the shackle, and which at the same time are so brittle that bending and rebending any part of the seal-disk insures a fracture that can be readily detected; and my present invention consists, first, in a seal having a cast-metal seal-disk of such compressible brittle alloy as a new article of manufacture; secon dly,in a recessed cast-metal seal-disk of such compressible brittle alloy, in combination with a shackle-wire, and, thirdly, in a recessed castmetal seal-disk of such compressible brittle alloy, in combination witha shackle-wire upon one end of which the seal-disk is cast fast, as hereinafter more fully set forth.

A sheet of drawings accompanies this specification as part thereof.

Figure 1 of these drawings is a perspective view of a recessed seal with cast-in wire fully illustrating this invention. Fig. 2 is a like view of the same applied to a pair of car-door staples and ready for the press. Fig. 3 is a perspective back View of its seal-disk pressed. Fig. 3 represents a magnified cross-section of the pressed seal. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a different style of recessed seal-disk cast separate from the wire. Fig. 5 is a like View of the same pressed upon the two ends of a shackle wire, and Figs. 6 and 7 are perspective views of seals pressed, in other ways illustrating the same invention.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

In carrying out this invention I melt together lead and antimony in the proportion of about one-seventh antimony to sixsevenths lead, and from these proportions down to one tenth antimony and ninetenths lead (more or less) for softer seals. The alloy thus produced is cast into seal-disks of any approved pattern, as A, Fig. 1, or B, Fig.4, and the seal-disks thus produced are compressible in ordinary seal-presses either between dies of any approved face conformation, as illustrated by Figs. 3, 3 5, and 6, respectively, or in my roller seal-presses, as represented by Fig. 7. At thesame time the alloy is so brittle that, after the seal-disk is pressed, it is practically impossible to bend the seal-disk or to raise any part of the metal, and then restore it to its original shape without breaking the seal-disk or the portion tampered with in the act of rebending it. Oonsequently after the seal-disk is solidified, or even closed around the ends of a suitable shackle-wire, as V or W or X m or W, so as to be stamped with the requisite distinguishing-marks m, it is practically impossible to take out either shackle end by cutting and bending the seal-disk, or by reopening its threading-holes h or recess 9' without sure detection.

The harder the alloy is, provided it will press and take the impression of the dies or rollers, the safer is the seal. I consequently prefer to use about one-seveuth of antimony to siX-sevenths of lead; but well-pressed sealdisks, containing as little as one-tenth antimony to nine-tenths lead, as aforesaid, are considered reasonably secure against being successfully tampered with in the manner indicated.

The seal represented by Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 3 is constructed, apart from the present invention, substantially in accordance with Fig. 6 of said Patent No. 368,126, of August 9, 1887, its seal-disk A being cast fast on one end, a, of a shackle-wire, \V, and having a pair of threadingholes, h, in its top, and a horseshoe-shaped recess, 1', in its face, which receive the other shackle end, I), as illustrated by Fig. 2, after passing the wire through a pair of car-door staples, S, or the like, after which the seal is compressed and stamped in any approved way, as illustrated by Figs. 3, 3, to fasten the threaded shackle end I), and to provide the closed seal-disk with its distinguishing-marks m. In using very thin single wire, as represented by V, the threaded end I) is preferably drawn back across the sealdisk, so as to be embedded in the same at the pressing operation, as represented at c in Figs. 3 and 3-", and the brittle metal precludes removing and replacing this rebent outer portion of the wire without so marring the sealdisk that the act can be detected.

The seal represented by Figs. 4 and 5 is coir structed, apart from the present invention, in accordance substantially with Figs. 7 and 8 of said Patent No. 868,126, of August 9, 1887, having a separately-east seal-disk, B,provided in the molds with threadingholes h in its top, and a horseshoe-shaped recess, 9', in its face and lower edge, which receive both ends of a shackle,W of ordinary commercial wire, after which it is compressed and stamped, as illus trated by Fig. 5.

The seal represented by Fig. 6 has a castu metal seal-disk, (l, of my compressible brittle alloy, with parallel threading-holes it closed upon the ends of a shackle-wireflw, provided with my detector-indentations i, patented June 27, 1876; and the seal represented by Fig.7 has a similar seal-disk, D, compressed upon the ends of a shackle-wire,W*, provided with my detectorenlargements e, patented July 3, 1877.

The seals above described are shown byway of illustration. It will be understood that my compressible brittle alloy may be used for sealdisks or seals proper of any approved pattern, and that these may be combined with shackles of any suitable kind. Other substances may also be combined with leadin making said alloy, so long as the characteristics hereinbefore set forth are preserved.

I do not claim herein seals having non-compressible seal-disks of hard and brittle metal. Such seals are set forth in my specifications forming part of United States Patents, dated May 6, 1884, No. 298,168; March 17, 1885, No. 314,161; June 23, 1885, No. 320,904, and September 7, 1886, No. 348,884, and form no part of my present invention. Neither do I limit myself to the exact proportions hereinbcfore set forth, as lead itself varies somewhat as to softness, and more or less of the hard and brittle metal will be required with softer or harder lead to render the alloy at once compressible and sufliciently brittle to prevent bending up and replacing any part of the seal-disk.

Having thus described my said improve ment in seals, I claim as my invention and desire to patent under this spccification l. A seal havinga cast-metal seal-disk composed of a compressible brittle alloy, substantially as herein specified, as anew article of manufacture.

2. In combination with a suitable shacklewire, a recessed cast-metal seal-disk composed of a compressible brittle alloy, substantially as hereinspccified,whereby reclosing its recess aftertampering with the seal-disk is prevented.

3. In combination with a suitable shacklewire, a recessed seal-disk cast fast on one end of the wire and composed of a compressible brittle alloy, substantially as herein specified, for the purposes set forth.

ED\VARD J. BROOKS.

Witnesses:

Gurus. PURTILL, H. D. O. \VENK. 

